Changing First and Last Names at the Civil Registry: Guide

> Context Note: This content describes Brazilian notary and registry law (direito notarial e registral brasileiro).

Title

Documents and Requirements to Change First and Last Names Directly at the Registry Office

Executive summary

Changing first and last names directly at a civil registry office (cartório de registro civil das pessoas naturais) can be requested by any person over eighteen years of age who possesses full civil capacity. Federal legislation allows an unmotivated change of a first name directly before the civil registrar of natural persons (oficial de registro civil das pessoas naturais), dispensing with judicial proceedings or prior justification. The procedure requires presenting a strict set of clearance certificates (certidões negativas) to ensure legal certainty and protect third-party rights Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 1º.

Questions answered in this article

• Who can request a change of first and last name directly at the civil registry?
• What clearance certificates and documents are required to change a name extrajudicially?
• What is the step-by-step procedure to change a name without court proceedings?
• What happens to old documents, real estate registries, and companies after changing a name?
• Can the civil registrar of natural persons refuse a name change request?

In summary

• Changing first and last names directly at a registry office is an administrative procedure conducted at the civil registry of natural persons (registro civil das pessoas naturais).
• An unmotivated first name change is permitted for fully capable adults over eighteen years old and can only be performed once extrajudicially.
• Adding or modifying last names allows adding family surnames, surnames of spouses or partners, and removing surnames due to divorce or dissolution of a stable union (união estável).
• Presenting civil, criminal, and protest clearance certificates is mandatory to rule out signs of fraud or attempts to evade creditors.

Who can request a change of first and last name directly at the civil registry?

The ability to change first and last names directly at a registry office represents significant progress in red tape reduction for registry services in Brazil. Currently, any citizen who has reached civil majority—that is, over eighteen years of age—and is in full possession of their civil capacity may request the modification of their name directly before the civil registry office of natural persons.

In the case of changing a first name (prenome), the change can be requested entirely without stating a motivation. This means you do not need to present embarrassing justifications or claims of distress before the registrar. The law grants adults the right to freely choose their nominal identity, provided that this unmotivated change occurs only once through extrajudicial channels.

For changing a last name (sobrenome or patronymic), the authority of the civil registrar of natural persons has also expanded significantly. You may directly request at the civil registry:

• The inclusion of family surnames from parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents, proving lineage through corresponding birth certificates;
• The inclusion or removal of a spouse's or partner's surname during marriage or upon formal recognition of a stable union, as well as after the dissolution of these family entities;
• The alteration of a surname resulting from changes in filiation recorded in the original birth entry.

Minors under eighteen years of age or relatively incapacitated individuals do not qualify for direct unmotivated changes before the civil registry. In those specific cases, court authorization (suprimento judicial) or compliance with special rules regarding representation and assistance remains necessary. The delegate officer's role is to ensure the authenticity, publicity, and legal certainty of the name change act Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 1º.

What clearance certificates and documents are required to change a name extrajudicially?

To initiate a request to change first and last names directly at the civil registry, the law requires a comprehensive set of documents. This strictness is essential to prevent name changes from being used to hide criminal records, evade tax obligations, or defraud creditors.

You must present the following personal identification and civil status documents:

• Official photo identification document (RG, CNH driver's license, or valid professional ID);
• Individual Taxpayer Registry card (CPF - Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas);
• Updated proof of residence in the applicant's name;
• Updated full-form certificate (certidão de inteiro teor) of birth or marriage, issued within the last ninety days.

In addition to identification documents, the applicant must mandatorily present a set of clearance certificates issued by judicial and regulatory bodies. These certificates must cover the applicant's place of birth and the judicial district (comarca) where they resided during the last five years:

• State Justice Certificate: Civil and criminal distribution certificates from the local State Court of Justice (Tribunal de Justiça).
• Federal Justice Certificate: Civil and criminal certificates issued by the Federal Regional Court (Tribunal Regional Federal) of the respective region.
• Labor Justice Certificate: Clearance certificates for labor lawsuits and labor debt status.
• Electoral Justice Certificate: Electoral clearance certificate (quitação eleitoral) and electoral crimes certificate.
• Military Justice Certificate: Required for adult males or members of the Armed Forces.
• Protest Registry Certificates: Certificates from title protest offices (tabelionatos de protesto de títulos) in the districts of residence and birth.

Presenting these certificates is not intended to prevent citizens from changing their names if there are pending debts or ongoing lawsuits, but rather to ensure transparency. If positive certificates are issued (indicating ongoing lawsuits or protests), the civil registrar will evaluate whether there are signs of fraud. If the change is finalized, existing debts and legal actions will remain linked to the new name through a formal annotation (averbação).

What is the step-by-step procedure to change a name without court proceedings?

The administrative procedure to change first and last names directly at a registry office is structured to be fast and secure. Below are the sequential steps you must follow to formalize your request:

• Gather mandatory certificates: Obtain all civil, criminal, protest, and electoral clearance certificates issued through official channels of courts and competent agencies. Most of these certificates can be issued free of charge online through federal and state public institutions, such as the National Council of Justice (Conselho Nacional de Justiça - CNJ) and the Planalto Portal.
• Submit request at the Civil Registry: Go to the civil registry office where your birth or marriage was originally recorded. If you live in a different city, you may initiate the request at the registry office of your current residence.
• Use SERP: When the request is made in a municipality other than that of the original registration entry, the registrar uses the Electronic Public Registry System — SERP (Sistema Eletrônico dos Registros Públicos) to transmit documentation and notify the original registry office Lei nº 14.382/2022, art. 3º.
• Registrar's Analysis: The civil registrar performs a detailed check of the documentation, verifying the authenticity of documents and the absence of bad faith indicators.
• Record the Annotation: Upon approval, the registrar records the annotation (averbação) of the surname or first name change on the margin of the original birth or marriage record Provimento CNJ nº 149/2023, Livro II.
• Issuance of Updated Certificate: Once the annotation is complete, you receive an updated birth or marriage certificate displaying your new name in the entry text and referring to the recorded alteration.

The deadline to complete the process is not fixed to an exact number of days nationwide. It depends on the rules set by the Code of Norms of the local State Internal Affairs Bureau of Justice (Corregedoria-Geral de Justiça) and the time required for any additional inquiries by the registrar.

What happens to old documents, real estate registries, and companies after changing a name?

A common question concerns the secondary effects of a name change on legal transactions and civil acts. Changing your name does not erase your prior legal identity nor does it extinguish contractual, tax, or property obligations.

After receiving your updated certificate with the recorded name change annotation, you must update your personal documents with public and private issuing agencies:

• Identity Card (RG) and CPF: Contact your state identification department and the Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) to issue new identity documents displaying the updated name. The CPF number remains unchanged.
• Driver's License (CNH) and Passport: Request renewal or reissuance of these documents with DETRAN (State Traffic Department) and the Federal Police.
• Real Estate Titles: If you own real estate, you must present the updated birth or marriage certificate to the real estate registry office (registro de imóveis) where the properties are registered. The registrar will enter an annotation (averbação) on the property's registration record (matrícula) to maintain continuity of title.
• Commercial Registries and Articles of Incorporation: If you are a partner, sole proprietor, or company owner, you must update your articles of incorporation or registration filing at the Commercial Board (Junta Comercial) or the civil registry of legal entities (registro civil das pessoas jurídicas).
• Banking Institutions and Notary Offices: Update your records with banks and inform notary offices (tabelionatos de notas) where you hold active powers of attorney or pending public deeds. If you intend to execute a deed of donation or formalize acts such as marriage licensing or formalizing a stable union, the name on your updated certificate must match federal registration databases exactly.

Can the civil registrar of natural persons refuse a name change request?

Yes. The civil registrar exercises a delegated public function intended to safeguard legal certainty and prevent acts harmful to the public interest or third parties Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 1º. The process of changing first and last names directly at a registry office is not automatic if there is grounded suspicion of irregularity.

A reasoned refusal by the registrar occurs primarily under the following circumstances:

• Suspicion of fraud against creditors, scamming, or document forgery;
• Attempting to conceal serious criminal records or undermine active criminal sanctions;
• Refusal by the applicant to present mandatory clearance certificates or clarify positive certificates identified during review;
• Selection of first names that are manifestly ridiculous, embarrassing, or expose the individual to imminent ridicule.

If the registrar refuses the application, they will issue a formal written statement detailing the legal reasons for the denial. If you disagree with the registrar's refusal, you may request an administrative proceeding to resolve doubt (suscitação de dúvida). Under this procedure, the application file is referred to a competent judge of the Public Registry Court (Vara de Registros Públicos) or the Internal Affairs Bureau of Justice to evaluate whether the change can proceed.

Checklist of documents for changing first and last name

Below is the consolidated list of documents required to request a name change at the civil registry:

• [ ] Official photo identification document (valid RG or CNH driver's license)
• [ ] Active Individual Taxpayer Registry card (CPF)
• [ ] Proof of residence issued within the last ninety days
• [ ] Updated Birth or Marriage Certificate (full-form inteiro teor, issued within ninety days)
• [ ] Civil and Criminal Clearance Certificates from State Justice (residence and birth locations)
• [ ] Civil and Criminal Clearance Certificates from Federal Justice (competent regional court)
• [ ] Labor Justice Clearance Certificate (labor lawsuits and debt status)
• [ ] Electoral Clearance Certificate and Electoral Crimes Certificate
• [ ] Military Justice Clearance Certificate (if applicable by gender or profession)
• [ ] Title Protest Clearance Certificates from the applicant's judicial district
• [ ] Birth certificates proving family lineage (when adding surnames from grandparents or great-grandparents)

In practice

Case 1: Adding a paternal grandmother's surname to preserve family heritage

Mariana had only her mother's surname and her father's surname on her birth certificate. Following regulatory updates to public registry laws, she expressed a desire to add her paternal grandmother's Italian surname directly to her civil registration. Mariana gathered her updated birth certificate, her father's birth certificate, and her grandmother's marriage certificate.

She requested the inclusion of her grandmother's surname directly at her local civil registry office. After presenting civil and protest clearance certificates without restrictions, the registrar annotated the new surname on her birth entry. Mariana began signing as Mariana Rossi Silva without filing a court lawsuit.

Case 2: Unmotivated first name change due to aesthetic preference in adulthood

Upon turning twenty-five, Roberto decided to change his birth first name, with which he had never identified since childhood. He visited the civil registry office with his personal documents and obtained civil, criminal, and title protest distribution certificates from his district of residence.

During verification, a pending financial protest under his name was identified. Roberto presented clarifications, and the registrar recorded the first name change from Roberto to Lucas on the original record. The annotation maintained an explicit link between his CPF number, the existing debt, and his new name "Lucas," preserving creditor rights while ensuring the formal update of his nominal identity.

Common mistakes

• Believing that a name change erases prior debts or lawsuits: Changing a first or last name does not eliminate financial debts, lawsuits, or criminal records. All existing liabilities and legal proceedings remain tied to your CPF number and are formally linked to the new name annotated in the civil registry.
• Confusing extrajudicial name changes with unlimited alterations: The right to change a first name without stating a reason and without court proceedings can only be exercised a single time directly at the civil registry of natural persons. Future changes to a first name will require a court action based on valid legal cause.
• Failing to update property registrations and business filings after the change: Many citizens change their names on certificates and identity cards but forget to record the alteration on real estate property records (matrículas) or corporate contracts. This causes administrative bottlenecks when selling property at the real estate registry office or executing notary acts before a notary public (tabelião de notas).
• Submitting certificates issued outside the correct judicial district: Civil, criminal, and protest clearance certificates must cover both the applicant's birth registry location and any municipalities where they resided over the last five years. Missing certificates from the correct jurisdiction will prevent the registrar from processing the application.

Legal basis

• Normative note on Public Registries Law (Lei nº 6.015/1973): Regulates administrative procedures for unmotivated first name changes after reaching civil majority and surname alterations directly at civil registry offices, providing legal effect to civil status acts.
• Lei nº 14.382/2022, art. 3º Lei nº 14.382/2022, art. 3º — Establishes and regulates the Electronic Public Registry System (SERP - Sistema Eletrônico dos Registros Públicos), enabling electronic communications, integrated acts, and certificate transfers across different judicial districts.
• Provimento CNJ nº 149/2023, Livro II Provimento CNJ nº 149/2023, Livro II — Consolidates the National Code of Norms of the National Internal Affairs Bureau of Justice for extrajudicial services, standardizing requirements for name changes and record annotations.
• Provimento CNJ nº 149/2023, Livro I Provimento CNJ nº 149/2023, Livro I — Establishes general supervisory duties and legal qualification requirements applicable to extrajudicial registry offices across Brazil.
• Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 1º Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 1º — Defines notary and registry services as technical and administrative organization services intended to ensure publicity, authenticity, security, and efficacy of legal acts.
• Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 6º Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 6º — Outlines the operational duties and powers of notary publics and registrars in carrying out their functions.

Frequently asked questions

Who can request a change of first and last name directly at the civil registry?

Any person over eighteen years of age with full legal capacity may request a change of first and last name directly at the civil registry of natural persons. An unmotivated first name change can be performed extrajudicially only once during adulthood. Minors or legally incapacitated individuals require court authorization.

What clearance certificates and documents are required to change a name extrajudicially?

You must present a photo ID, CPF, proof of residence, and an updated birth or marriage certificate. Additionally, a comprehensive set of civil, criminal, title protest, electoral, labor, and military clearance certificates is required to prove good faith and safeguard third-party rights.

What is the step-by-step procedure to change a name without court proceedings?

First, gather required documents and mandatory clearance certificates. Next, visit the civil registry office to submit a signed application. The registrar reviews the documentation, enters the annotation into your registration entry, and issues an updated certificate. If you live in a city other than your birth location, the request can proceed via SERP.

What happens to old documents, real estate registries, and companies after changing a name?

After changing your name, you must update personal documents individually, including your ID card (RG), CPF, driver's license (CNH), and passport. If you own real estate or businesses, you must request an annotation of the name change at the relevant real estate registry office and commercial board to maintain property history and corporate filings up to date.

Can the civil registrar of natural persons refuse a name change request?

Yes. The civil registrar may refuse the request if there is grounded suspicion of fraud, forgery, bad faith, or intent to deceive creditors or evade criminal proceedings. In the event of a formal refusal issued by the registrar, the applicant may request an administrative proceeding (suscitação de dúvida) for review by a competent judge.

Editorial footer

Editorial Team: CartorIA and Notarial Legal Staff of the 5th Notary Office of Recife (5º Tabelionato de Notas do Recife)

Date of Last Legal Review: August 12, 2026

Document Version: v2.0 PEAN-AEO

Legal notice: Institutional guidance and informative content produced in accordance with federal legislation guidelines and the National Council of Justice. It does not replace formal consultation and legal qualification carried out when presenting documents before the registrar or notary public.

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